Still not booked a Easter break? Come to Northumberland. England's most beautiful County has much to offer

The perfect Northumberland day would feature:
A good walk - you could go to Hadrian's Wall http://www.visithadrianswall.co.uk/
ending at a good pub like the Twice Brewed Inn, or do a stretch of the Pennine Way, or take in the gentle wildness of the St Oswalds Way.
http://www.stoswaldsway.com/st-oswalds-way-short-walks/countryside-short-walks/short_walks_heavenfileld_pilgrimage.htm

Where to stay:
If you have to have the creature comforts then Matfen Hall is a top destination but
Hexham's Beaumont Hotel http://www.bw-beaumonthotel.co.uk/
is family run and was good enough for Pippa Middleton when she came to stay a year back!
We also have all manner of brilliant pubs and Bed and Breakfasts but if you want a good alternative then the Battlesteads Hotel in Wark http://www.battlesteads.com/ consistently wins prizes; the best Bed and Breakfast in the country was recently adjudged by Les Routiers guide to be The Black Cock Inn: http://www.blackcockinn.co.uk/
Where to eat:
If you want great pub food then I am a big fan of the Barrasford Arms,http://www.barrasfordarms.co.uk/
and the pub also has great beer and a bar where you will discuss everything from sheep prices to current affairs and who won the big race of the day. Great people and a top dining pub.
The Feathers in Hedley, and La Bouchon in Hexham are both prize winning and the destinations for fine dining along with the Rat which has won recent awards.
You will need a tea shop on your travels:
My friends say I am on a mission to try every tea shop in Tynedale but the county is justifiably famous: on your Pennine Way travels do not forget to stop at the Greenhead Tea Room: http://www.heartofhadrianswall.com/tea-rooms/60-greenhead-tea-rooms
Alison makes great cakes and scones.
Corbridge has more tea shops that any other but my favourite is Tea and Tipple, where you can while away an afternoon - they do great Northumberland Scones, including the normal cheese scone but also Blue Cheese and Caramelised Onion Scones: http://teaandtipple.blogspot.co.uk/
Their web site has a special "Sconage" section...
Beer: this is obviously essential. We have lots of brilliant brewers, but I have worked a lot with the Hadrian Border Brewery, who produce the deliciously summer ale which is Tyneside Blonde. But my favourite would be a pint of Golden Plover, made locally by the Allendale Brewery, and found in most of the pubs: http://www.allendaleale.com/index.htm

What to see; the wildlife the visit alone: http://www.northumberlandnationalpark.org.uk/understanding/wildlifehabitats/heathermoorland/curlews
But if you want 5 places to visit these would all make anyone's top spots:

- The Beach at Bamburgh - a great walk and a top castle
- Roman Vindolanda http://www.vindolanda.com/ = our best Roman and historical site
- Kielder Water and Forest Park: http://www.visitkielder.com/
They win awards all the time!!
http://www.visitkielder.com/news/2013/05/kielder-water-forest-park-officially-the-best-tourism-experience-in-engl-
- Alnwick Castle and its magnificent Gardens http://www.alnwickcastle.com/
But if you go to one for engineering / spring flowers then I would probably pick Cragside: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/cragside/
-It is a stunning house with amazing engineering everywhere and beautiful gardens filled with 40 miles of walks, rare flowers and so much more. It is a special place.

What to Buy:
Whether you want to browse the independent shops of Hexham or Corbridge or purchase pottery in Bardon Mill or visit some of the amazing markets there is so much to do.

Plenty of shows + events on in Tynedale this weekend - with Bellingham the biggest but lots happening in South Tynedale too

There are opportunities for all this weekend - Bellingham is the biggest show with its usual agricultural base, but there are other events on in the south of the patch: Allendale School hosts the annual Horticultural and Industrial show today whilst on Monday the Blanchland and Hunstanworth Show is always good fun. I should also point out that there is the Snods Edge Arts Festival from Saturday to Monday

Falstone and Allendale Shows this Saturday - please try and go along to these special agricultural based shows if you are free

At opposite ends of the constituency the 2 shows this weekend are very special. Falstone also features a fell race and music from 3.30

Pleased that Allendale has had its local plan approved - community involvement and local democracy at its best

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/north-east-analysis/analysis-news/allendale-becomes-first-north-east-8540163

Tynedale Plans this weekend - Allendale all day Saturday

Cricket at Allendale Saturday afternoon, and knocking on doors and surgeries in the morning.
Friday I have surgeries. On Sunday I am going to the Hexham Abbey for the Church Sevice to commemorate the First World War. If I miss you in Allendale itself on Saturday morning come along to the cricket pitch in the afternoon. I suspect I will be batting well down the order so I will have plenty of time to chat!

Amazing new electric bikes in Allendale - you have to try them out

Last week I went to Allendale to meet Jo Dixon and the many others helping to regenerate Allendale.
We are pictured outside the post office, with the new electric bikes available in the village, which are amazing. I am no Chris Froome, but he would have been hard pressed to keep up as we whizzed up the Allendale hills - the bikes are so good in that they are normal bikes on the flat ... but the moment that you hit a slope they kick in and you pedal effortlessly up the hills like Lance Armstrong on steroids. Whilst doing the tour of Allendale, I came across curlews who rose effortlessly from the side of the road and flew off to the moors with their haunting sounds. The curlew was so beautiful.
If you have not been to Allendale, and the incredible countryside around it, you have to go.

Allendale canvassing

Allendale - not quite as it was saturday, but there is still a lot of snow on the high ground
Spent the afternoon with Councillor Colin Horncastle [who once again is on the front page of the Hexham Courant] http://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/news_at_a_glance/unprepared_for_the_snow_1_663380?referrerPath=news/news_at_a_glance
Sadly the council worked on the basis that we would never have another day of snow - how wrong they were!
In Allendale we canvassed all around the town but particularly Station Road, and everything up the hill, and all around the middle School, before going up to Thornley Gate. Colin has used his members budget to help rebuild the sports hall and improve the drainage outside the Middle School and is known to almost everyone in Allendale. A good afternoon of meeting people. Much upset about Gordon Brown, and where the country is going - and a lot want an election now - I know how they feel!

Grand National Days

As a child I was always fixated by the Grand National - having been brought up on tales of my dad riding in it in the mid 1960's.
I am fond of a punt and I have been tipping the horse "State of Play" all week each way.
However, the pressure was on this morning when I was asked to
a). give the speech at the European Womens Coffee Morning in Corbridge, and
b). give my tip for todays race
One of our most famous members Olive immediately announced she was putting the money down that morning.
Hoping State of Play was feeling well I drove south down into the beautiful Allen Valley - it is a raw, sharp beauty down there - full of the biggest skies and the strongest winds - but everyone who lives there loves it. There is a wonderful sense of community. We had an amazing constituency lunch in Allendale, with enough food to feed the 8th Army and a great collectionof people to talk to. Unlike previous Allendale events I was glad not to be asked to make a speech - not least as I did not want the pressure of another tip.

At 4.15 I knew my fate: State of Play led at the second last but faded into fourth - but close enough for the each way punters to recover their stake and make a small profit. Still wished I was riding in it. Maybe one day ...